Roughly 340-350 such rakes remain to be converted out of around 2,000 rakes.
Key Points
- Railways expects to complete conversion of remaining ICF coaches on regular mail and express trains by FY28.
- More than 1,600 rakes have already shifted to LHB coaches.
- Mail and express train production will move towards Amrit Bharat push-pull trains after loose LHB coach manufacturing ends.
- Amrit Bharat LHB coaches use semi-permanent, semi-rigid draft couplers designed to improve safety during higher-speed operations.
The ministry of railways' plan to convert all existing Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches on regular mail/express trains into Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches is likely to be completed by 2027-2028 (FY28), according to officials.
Roughly 340-350 such rakes remain to be converted out of around 2,000 rakes.
After this, the Railways will no longer manufacture loose LHB coaches, and the production of mail and express trains will move to the Amrit Bharat platform of push-pull trains.
These push-pull trains will also feature LHB coaches, but in a safer and more efficient configuration.
Amrit Bharat LHB coaches feature semi-permanent, semi-rigid draft couplers, which are considered safer for train operations, especially at higher speeds.
A push-pull train was first introduced in 2019, while the concept has now been mainstreamed with the introduction of Amrit Bharat trains.
These trains run in a dual-locomotive push-pull configuration, eliminating starting jerks and improving overall acceleration.
Since India began the conversion programme, more than 1,600 rakes have been converted into LHB, according to an official familiar with the matter.
An estimated 170-180 rakes will be converted into LHB in the remainder of this financial year (2026-2027) and the upcoming financial year (FY28).
The government will continue to use some ICF rakes for additional passenger services, such as special trains, trains on demand, and departmental services, the official said.
India's Shift From ICF To LHB
India's journey with LHB coaches began in 1995, after the national transporter signed a technology transfer agreement and began the process of importing these coaches.
Manufacturing capabilities were also developed in-house.
In 2018, India stopped producing ICF coaches and shifted entirely to LHB coaches for passenger trains, citing safety reasons.
This followed a spate of accidents in which the performance of ICF coaches had come under scrutiny. ICF coaches often faced the issue of 'telescoping' during collisions, in which coaches would pile into and crush each other, increasing the scale of damage and the risk to life.
This was followed by the rapid conversion of ICF coaches. According to officials, Railways has converted around 950 rakes, or trains, since 2021. A rake typically contains 24 coaches.
The Railway Board will also issue guidelines for the expedited scrapping of corroded ICF and hybrid coaches.
At the same time, the Railways is also dealing with the issue of heavy corrosion in LHB and ICF coaches. Moreover, it has asked all its production units to manufacture LHB coaches with push-pull wiring going forward.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
